Scared of Love
by tempestquill
Summary: There is so much to fear in a marriage of convenience, especially with a husband with a reputation like his, so when faced with the changes in him, will she start to believe in him or will she continue to be scared of love... Sequel to "Gravity".


Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with anything having to do with Hana Yori Dango, I just like making Soujiro sweat and angst.

Dedicated once again to the wonderful KoKo-kun who whipped my muse back into some semblance of inspiration by requesting "In the Rough" which turned into a trilogy. And without further ado, I hope you enjoy this conclusion!

"Scared of Love"  
By C.K. Blake

Her hand is in his as they step through the door, the bell jingling overhead. She quickly lets his hand go, and he takes in a sharp breath. He watches as her face brightens with a smile as she sees that Rui and Akira are in the shop. She never smiles like that for him.

"How did the appointment go?" Akira asks.

Yuki smiles serenely as she answers, "The doctor says the baby is healthy. I'm twelve weeks along now, and I'm late for work. So let me go get changed."

"Tsukushi is in the back. She wants to know if you have any more pictures of the baby. Take your time, we can manage the shop for a minute or two," Rui says.

Yuki gives him a nod and slips into the backroom. Soujiro gazes after her and then lets out a sigh. He takes a seat between Akira and Rui on the bench and leans forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands in his hair. Rui and Akira exchange a look over his head and then Akira slaps him on the back and says, "Right, so a boys' night out once Yuki and Makino come out of the back. Looks like you need it."

Soujiro shakes his head. "No. I'd prefer somewhere quiet with a drink or two, and I have to be back here to pick up Yuki and take her home when she's done with work," he says, his tone resigned, and again his friends exchange a look over his bowed head.

A minute later Yuki and Makino step out of the back, both of them smiling and chatting away as they begin to rearrange the counter. Soujiro looks up immediately at the sound of Yuki's voice and then he gets to his feet and approaches her. She stiffens as he drops a hand on her shoulder, leans down, and whispers in her ear. She gives a nod and lets out a sigh of relief when he pulls back, and Soujiro looks stung. Akira, Rui, and even Makino pick up on the tension between the couple, and then Yuki is fine, back to talking with Makino, and Soujiro waves to his friends to leave, a dejected look on his face.

They end up taking Soujiro's limo to Rui's home, because both Rui and Akira know something is going on between their friend and his bride, and from the looks of it, it isn't anything pleasant. Nearly half an hour later Soujiro is lounging on one of the sofas in Rui's sitting room, a drink in his hand. He gingerly takes a sip of the brandy, savoring the warm bite of it as it slips down his throat, and he knows that they are looking at him, wondering what's wrong.

He finally can't stand their scrutiny anymore, sets his drink down on the table in front of him, and he looks up to see Rui and Akira leaning against the bar with concerned expressions.

"So how are things really between you and Yuki-chan?" Rui asks, his gaze steady and unwavering.

"And don't think we didn't see how she was around you. She was bright and smiling with Makino and she looked happy to see us, but she pulls away from you like you're the plague," Akira adds.

Soujiro lets out a sharp bark of laughter and reaches for his drink again, quickly downing the glass, and mentally he braces himself. "She's happy until she realizes I'm near. She's been strange since our wedding night…"

Rui stiffens, but it's Akira that takes up for Yuki. "You stupid bastard! What did you do to her! You know she's not like any of your other girls! Did you do something to retaliate for how she left you that night?" Akira growls, and Soujiro stiffens on the couch.

"Is that how you really think of me? That I would intentionally hurt her? Nothing happened! I unzipped her dress, she showed me a picture of the baby, I kissed her and then she pulled away and said she was tired. She's happy around you guys and Makino, but around me she's always tired. She trembles when I touch her and she always pulls back when I'm about to kiss her. We haven't even consummated our marriage! She won't let me touch her when we're alone," Soujiro growls out the last bit in frustration, his hands once again finding purchase in his hair, if this keeps up he might very well go prematurely bald.

He looks up with a glare at the sound of his friends openly laughing at him. "What the hell is so funny?"

Rui can barely breathe past his laughter, and finally Akira manages to catch enough breath to actually speak, "You mean to tell me that the great playboy Nishikado Soujiro can't even bed his own wife?"

With a sharp bite in his tone Soujiro responds, "Well, you seem to have so much experience in bedding other men's wives, what do you suggest I do? It's driving me crazy! I don't want to hurt her, but I'm a man with needs. If she can't fulfill them then what can I do?"

"If you cheat on Yuki I will personally inform Tsukushi and then I'll let her loose on you," Rui says with a little venom in his usually calm tone.

Soujiro winces at the threat, and Akira says, "You are actually asking me how to seduce your own wife?"

And like Akira planned, his question lightens the mood in the room and the three friends share a laugh as Rui pours himself and Akira a drink and refreshes Soujiro's empty glass.

----------

"So have you thought of any names yet?" Tsukushi asks.

Yuki blushes and shakes her head. "Not really. I'm still coming to terms with being pregnant, and…"

Tsukushi lets out a sigh. "How bad is it Yuki? I swear if he's done anything to hurt you I'll kill him. I think I can talk Akira into helping me hide a body, and if he won't do it, well Domyouji is my back-up plan."

"It's really not like that," Yuki says quietly.

Tsukushi rolls her eyes at what she takes to be her friend's apparent denial and then goes off on one of her usual tangents. "He's probably out all the time, ignoring you, putting all the blame of the baby on you… Oh I can't believe him! You never should have married him! There had to be some other way!" She loses her steam when Yuki looks up at her with moist eyes, and then she quickly goes to lock the main door, because her friend is more important than work at the moment and she's sure Okami-san will understand.

Yuki slumps to the floor, tears breaking free, and Tsukushi kneels before her and wraps her arms around her friend, her mind whirring with various plots on how to make Nishikado Soujiro pay dearly for doing this to her friend. "You won't have to deal with this for long. You're better off a widow. I'll murder him! Slow and painful!"

"Tsukushi," Yuki manages after a deep breath, and she looks up, her cheeks shiny with tear trails. "He hasn't done anything like that. He's actually not so bad. He listens to me, goes out of his way to spend time with me. He reaches out to me, but I always pull away from him. I don't want to let him get close to me. I don't know if he's being sincere or if he's feeling guilty for having married me. I don't want to lose myself again, but if I let him get close to me then I feel like I'll disappear. He can hurt me so easily. He doesn't go out in the evenings. We usually eat dinner with his mother and then we go back home to do our own things. We watch movies or he reads. We've even played mahjong, and it's almost the way it used to be, his casual flirting with me and spending time with me, but I'm wondering when it will change. When he'll pick up his phone and disappear for a night. How long before he forgets that he's married?"

"Do you love him? I mean really love him Yuki?" Tsukushi asks.

Yuki drops her gaze to the floor and softly answers, "I don't want to, but I can't help it."

After Yuki's confession her mood seems to shift, and the two of them find themselves talking about other things like their childhood together, and Yuki smiles when Domyouji is brought up, watching how Tsukushi lights up, and she can't help but feel a pang of jealousy over how lucky Tsukushi is to have found someone as devoted to her as Domyouji is, even if that devotion borders on obsession most of the time. When they eventually look up at the clock they realize that it is near closing time. They quickly get to their feet and start cleaning up the shop. Sweeping, wiping down the counters, and taking out the trash.

When they are done they both look up at the clock noticing how late it is. Yuki nibbles on her bottom lip and Tsukushi cracks her knuckles. Usually Soujiro is at the shop to pick Yuki up by now. It is when Yuki nervously reaches for her phone that a knock on the door sounds. In their haste to clean they forgot about Tsukushi locking the door. The girls look up to see a rueful looking Akira and Rui with a nearly limp Soujiro between them. Tsukushi goes to unlock the door leveling Akira and Rui with a raised brow and a look of utter contempt as Soujiro takes his arm from around Rui's shoulder and makes an attempt to push Tsukushi out of his way.

Tsukushi wrinkles her nose at the strong smell of alcohol on Soujiro and again levels a glare at his two friends. Akira looks guilty and Rui looks as impassive as ever, and Tsukushi wants to throttle the pair of them. How could they let Soujiro drink himself into a stupor like this?

"Are you holding my Yuki hostage you little commoner virgin?" Soujiro slurs, fixing Tsukushi with a stupefied look that is probably intended to be a glare. At this point she's too disgusted to even try and hit him, besides he's probably too far gone to feel it any way.

"Soujiro?" Yuki asks as she slips by Tsukushi and shakes her head at the sight of him.

He looks up at her with a grin and reaches for her hand. He has quite a grip on him despite his current state and he pulls her forward, his arms wrapping around her, clinging to her, and he buries his face against her neck, his lips brushing over her pulse as he nuzzles her. "Yuki-chan, like it better with your hair down. It always smells so nice."

His hands find their way to her waist and the tie of her kimono. Her eyes widen as he begins to tug at the tie, and she quickly reaches down and grabs his hands before he does something to embarrass the both of them. He gives a huff of frustration and then whines, "Yuki, you never let me touch you. Why not? We're married now, so you shouldn't be against it. It won't hurt the baby, I know, I asked the doctor…"

Yuki shoves him away, her face flaming as Akira and Rui tried to stifle their chuckles and Tsukushi has her fingers in her ears trying to forget what she just heard.

"Yuki!" Soujiro shouts, his mouth poked out in a pout as he looks at her, dejection in his eyes, and he actually stamps his foot. He tries to go toward her, but Akira puts a firm hand on his shoulder and then looks at the still blushing Yuki. "Hurry and go get changed Yuki-chan, we'll get him to the car for you. If you want we can come with you."

Yuki's eyes widen at the thought of what could go wrong with the four of them and Tsukushi in the car on the drive home and she vigorously shakes her head. "No. I'm sure I can manage once we get home. Just get him to the car and I'll be out there in a minute."

She changes quickly, bypasses Tsukushi's offer of staying the night with her, and hurries out to the car. She notices that Akira and Rui are standing by the opened door of the limo, Akira is leaning into the door saying something to Soujiro, and at her approach he pulls back from the door and steps aside. She slips past him into the car, winces as Soujiro's arms immediately wrap around her waist and shakes her head when Akira offers to ride with them once again. She reconsiders that offer the moment Akira shuts the car door as Soujiro buries his face against her neck once again, but the car is already in motion and it's too late to turn back now.

"Alone at last," he breathes against her neck and then his mouth is working up her neck and along her jaw. He shifts and she doesn't know how he can be so coordinated with how inebriated he is, but in a moment he's freed her hair, and then his hands are working their way beneath her blouse, and they are cool against the warmth of her stomach, slowly gliding upward. Her breath hitches in her throat, and she tries to push him away, but then his mouth finds a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and she gasps.

"I want you, Yuki. It's shameful. We've been married now for a few weeks and we haven't consummated our vows yet. I'm a man, and I have needs. You're a wife, you should be dutiful, Yuki-chan. I could seduce you if that would make it easier," he says, his tone lazy, his words slightly slurred as he shifts again and then his mouth is on hers.

Yuki can taste the strong, burning alcohol on his breath, but beneath that is the intoxicating taste of Soujiro, and she whimpers as his hands glide up her sides, dancing up her ribs, his thumbs brushing along the underside of her bra covered breasts. She squeezes her eyes shut as her breathing gets heavy. He pulls back, a smile on his face, his eyes cloudy, as he begins to struggle with the buttons of her blouse, his nimble fingers not as deft as they usually are, and as he descends to kiss her again, Yuki feels that she's on the verge of losing herself again… but the kiss doesn't happen, instead he slumps forward, his face landing in the crook where her neck meets shoulder, and he's limp and heavy on top of her small form.

With a deep breath and a great deal of effort she manages to roll him off of her. She's relieved as her breathing slowly begins to return to normal, but her heartbeat is still erratic, pounding desperately against her ribs as she turns to look at him, his face slack and childlike in his current state of unconsciousness. She tentatively reaches out, pushing a lock of hair back from his handsome face, a small smile playing on her mouth as she shakes her head and wonders what he would think if he ever knew just how ridiculous he'd acted. With a sigh she presses her hand against her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart and she looks out of the window, noticing when they pass the main house on the Nishikado estate. A few moments later the car pulls up in front of what used to be the guest house, it's been her home with Soujiro since their wedding day.

She looks up with a shy smile as the driver opens the door for her. He gives her a brief nod, and once she's out he reaches in for Soujiro. He hefts the young man over his shoulder in what appears to be a very familiar action on his part. He waits patiently as Yuki unlocks the door, and then he follows her inside. She doesn't have to tell him where the master bedroom is. He slips quietly through the house, and a few moments later he's gone. She sighs as she closes and locks the door behind the chauffer and then she heads to the bathroom to get ready for bed, and she absently thinks that maybe she should have had the chauffer put Soujiro on the couch instead of in the bedroom.

----------

With a groan consciousness slips up on him and rears its ugly head. He slowly opens his eyes and immediately squeezes them shut. The sunlight drifting into the room is too much for him to handle at the moment. He thinks he might actually swear off drinking for good this time. He begins to stretch out and freezes at the warm body entwined with his. He carefully opens his eyes and lets out a sigh of relief as he looks down at his sleeping wife. He isn't sure if he wants to remember anything about last night, but he's very relieved to find that he's waking up with her in his arms and not some conquest that doesn't mean anything.

Seeing her sleeping peacefully in his arms is almost enough to make him forget the aching in his head, the rolling in his stomach, and the sour taste in his mouth. He can't help the smile that tugs at his mouth as she shifts closer to him. He moves carefully so as not to disturb her, and gently he pushes her hair back from her face and rises up, his lips brushing her forehead. He does his best not to jostle her as he moves them around, changing their positions until he's sitting up against the headboard of the bed, and he pulls her into his arms. His breath catches as her arms wrap around his waist, her hair silky against the bare skin of his abdomen. He drops his hand to her head, playfully ruffling her hair. She shifts and buries her face against his stomach. He smiles at her reaction, and then he raises his gaze to take in their surroundings. His takes in the neatness of their bedroom, all of the furniture made from a rich golden hued wood, varnished to perfection, and his eyes settle on the bedside table where he sees a bottle of water and some aspirin waiting on him. It doesn't surprise him, Yuki is a very thoughtful girl, she always has been, putting other's before herself.

He feels her stirring against him, notices when she stiffens, and as she begins to pull away from him he is reluctant to let her go. His arms tighten around her, and he knows that she's too good and he doesn't deserve her, but that doesn't mean he wants to lose her either. She manages to sit up, but still his arms are around her. Their eyes meet, and he notices the wary look in her gaze. He shifts closer to her, and she trembles against him. He leans forward, his lips brushing her ear, and in a voice that is gritty and spent from the alcohol that burned his throat the night before, he huskily whispers, "Why are you so afraid of me, Yuki-chan?"

Her breath catches in her throat and she looks up at him with watery eyes. Her chest heaves in her nervousness, and he knows without a doubt that her heart is racing, probably from a combination of her fear and their closeness. She nibbles her bottom lip and his eyes follow the movement, and he wonders if she realizes just how enticing she looks when she does this. Finally she straightens in her resolve, and as their gazes lock his hands fall to her waist, brushing her sides as he's still unwilling to break all contact with her as this has become a rare thing in their household.

"I won't lose myself because of you ever again, Nishikado-san. I was lost once and it took all of my will and the help of Rui to find myself again. I won't be lost, I will be strong for our child. You owe me nothing, so please don't pretend that you do. As long as you provide for the child I'll do my duties as a traditional wife to the best of my abilities, but don't ask me to fall in love with you, please," she pleads, her voice so soft as it cracks, and the tears slip down her face.

Hearing her use his family name to address him and seeing her tears makes his blood run cold. Is this really what she thinks of him? Could he have hurt her this much? He remembers how he felt when he awoke alone in the hotel suite that night, how cut off and abandoned he felt. He shivers at the memory, and again he's reminded of the abandonment as she pulls away from his arms. He wants to reach out and take her in his arms again, make her see reason, but it seems that all he can do is make her cry.

He reaches for the aspirin and water bottle just to keep his hands occupied so that he doesn't do something foolish like reach out for her when she obviously wants nothing to do with him. Once he's swallowed the pills and drinks nearly half of the bottle of water he looks at her as she heads toward the huge walk in closet. She disappears into the closet, the door shutting behind her, and as she dresses for the day he makes a silent promise to himself, he will never break her again, and he will never make her cry again if he can help it.

----------

She shivers as the doctor squirts the cold jelly on the small swell of her stomach and then spreads it. A steady thumping fills the room, and she reaches for Soujiro's hand as they both look at the monitor. The baby shifts as the doctor presses firmly against Yuki's abdomen. Yuki looks at Soujiro and sees his eyes widen in awe. She feels her heart flutter at the rapture on his face. He turns from the monitor to look at her and he brings her hand to his lips and presses a kiss to her palm. Their eyes meet and her face flushes at his intense gaze.

"You are now at eighteen weeks, Yuki-san," Dr. Mitsumira says. "The baby appears to be healthy and at the normal stage of development. And you've been taking your vitamins?"

"Yes, I always remind her to take her vitamins, Sensei," Soujiro replies in Yuki's stead.

The doctor nods and smiles at Soujiro. "It is always good to see a young father take an active role in the development of a child during pregnancy. Yuki-san, you are lucky to have such an attentive husband."

Yuki's cheeks color as she turns her gaze to the floor. The doctor hides his smile at their behavior; it's so rare that he sees such a happy young couple, especially among the elite and wealthy. He hands her some paper towels to wipe away the petroleum jelly on her stomach, gets to his feet and then tells her she may get dressed and he'll see her again in two weeks.

Once the door closes behind the doctor Yuki gets up from the bed and slips behind the screen to dress. It doesn't take her long, and soon they find themselves standing in the parking lot of the medical center, and Soujiro hesitates as he unlocks the door of his bright yellow Ferrari. He leans over the top of the car and calls to Yuki who seems lost in her thoughts. "Let's do something together, Yuki-chan. Anything you want, something that will get us out of the house and away from my mother."

"I…" she hesitates, and at the open look on his face she nibbles her bottom lip and then continues, "Well I wouldn't mind looking for a few things for the nursery. Your mother and I went out last week, but Haha makes me nervous. She always looks at the most expensive things."

"Money isn't a problem," Soujiro says gently and he notices when her cheeks color, and then he quickly tries to ease her embarrassment. "Okay, let's go shopping for the nursery."

He pushes the button on his door that unlocks her side. He watches as she opens the door, still not quite used to how the door glides up instead of pulling out. She settles down in the seat and puts on her seatbelt as he pulls out of the parking lot and into traffic. She's quiet as he drives, but it's not awkward, the quiet has grown comfortable between them lately. As he shifts gears he passes a quick glance at her, and he admires the simple light blue sundress she has on. It suits her in color and cut. He reaches out for her hand, his thumb rubbing along the side of her hand, and she flushes again under his attentions.

Finally he pulls up in front of a bright boutique. He parks the car with ease, and then he gets out, walks around and helps her out of the car. He takes her hand as they enter the store together, and he watches her as she looks around the store with wide eyes, taking in all it has to offer. He follows as she tugs his hand and heads in the direction of the cribs. He's amused as she lightly runs her fingertips along the brightly varnished golden wood of a crib that seems to have caught her attention.

He shifts closer to her, his chest pressed against her back as he leans down and whispers against her ear, "Do you like it?"

She nods and he smiles at her. "Then I'll just have to go find a saleslady to negotiate delivery. I'll be right back."

She looks around the store, waiting on Soujiro to return from his search for a salesperson, and she finds her way into the maternity section. She runs her hands along various blouses, shirts, and dresses, a smile tugging at her lips. She takes a lavender colored dress from a rack to examine it when she hears a voice that causes her to stiffen. She turns to look and her eyes widen.

"Mama?" she says, and her mother looks up at her.

Yuki notices the name tag pinned to her mother's blouse. She wonders how long her mother has worked here. Her mother looks down at the floor and Yuki's throat tightens. She takes in a shaky breath, and she's relieved when a strong arm wraps around her waist, and she leans back against him, glad for his support. He presses a kiss to her neck and then in a light tone he playfully scolds her, "Yuki-chan, where have you been? I only left for a moment to pay for the crib and you suddenly disappeared."

When she doesn't answer right away he follows her gaze and his eyes narrow on her mother. "Matsuoka-san," he says, coolly addressing Yuki's mother. "How have you been?"

Knowing that he could very well cost her job if she doesn't address him politely she says, "I've been doing well Nishikado-san. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I've already taken care of my purchases," he replies, and then he turns his full attention on Yuki, and says, "Are you ready to go? It's about time you had lunch, after all we can't have you or the baby go hungry."

He notices the reaction of Yuki's mother, how she stiffens at his words. He takes Yuki's hand and begins to lead her toward the store entrance, but her mother's words cause her to pause.

"Naoki came home," her mother calls after her.

Yuki stiffens, and then she turns to look sadly at her mother. "I'm happy for you. You have one daughter back. Goodbye."

With that she turns to look up at Soujiro, and at the look in her eyes he wastes no time in getting her out of there. He ends up taking her to a small café known for Western cuisine. She's silent as he orders for them, and she only looks up when he takes her hand.

"Are you okay?" he asks, the concern evident in his tone.

"We'll never turn our child away. Promise me that, no matter what we'll never turn out our own child," she says her tone desperate.

He gives her hand a squeeze, thinking to his older brother and to Yuki's situation with her parents. "I promise. We'll never do that."

"Thank you," she says, and then he smiles at her and says, "Our order will arrive in a few minutes. I need to go to the bathroom. You'll be okay out here?"

She nods and watches as he gets up and heads to the facilities. She reaches for the glass of water set on her side of the table. She squeezes the lemon on the glass into the water and then takes a drink. She notices a shadow stretched across the table as she sets her glass down and she looks up to see a young woman glaring at her. Her stance is hostile, and she's looking at Yuki likes she's trash.

"So you're the reason why Soujiro-kun doesn't come out to play anymore. You're too plain to last long," she says with a sneer.

Yuki is stunned into silence at her harsh words, and then she notices as the woman looks past her and stiffens.

"Would you care to explain to me why you are harassing my wife?" Soujiro asks, his voice frosty.

The girl's eyes widen in shock as she stares down at Yuki. "Your wife, Soujiro-kun?" the girl asks.

"Yes, my wife. If you ever approach her again there _will_ be repercussions," he replies, his tone menacing.

The girl doesn't waste time in making herself scarce as Soujiro sits down across from Yuki. Yuki watches as Soujiro reaches for his cup of tea. He takes a sip and grimaces at the taste. "Common brand tea is absolutely appalling," he says as he raises his hand to signal a waiter to bring him something else to drink. Yuki smiles as she once again reaches for her water and takes a sip of it as they wait for their food, the silence between them is comfortable as they exchange smiles and he reaches for her hand.

----------

Carefully she wipes the counter, wondering where her obsession with cleanliness has suddenly sprung up. She doesn't think the dango shop has ever been as spotless as it is now. At least Okami-san has said so upon finding Yuki cleaning every single corner and crevice of the shop. At the sound of the bell over the door Yuki looks up with a smile until she notices the harsh expressions on the two young women's faces.

They are dressed nicely for a night out on the town, their lips painted, make-up done to perfection, and their dresses labeled with designers that would probably make Yuki wince to think of their cost. They exchange looks and then gaze over Yuki with disdain in their eyes, and finally they notice the glint of a very expensive set of rings on her left ring finger, their eyes narrowing. It's the taller of the two that speaks, "Well, Kyoko, it looks like Kuroki was telling the truth. A plain little commoner girl has managed to snag our Soujiro-kun. How pathetic the lengths a commoner would go to marry into wealth. He must deny her though, look at the little pauper, still working for commoner wages."

The other girl, Kyoko smirks, as she trails a perfectly manicured nail along one of the counters, and spits on the surface. Her dark, narrowed eyes meet Yuki's as she says, "Now, now Hana, surely there must be something in this girl that she could succeed where so many of us have failed in her wake. She's proven herself very fertile, but what attracted him to her? Her build perhaps, before it was stretched with the burden of a child? Certainly not her face, she's much to plain in that regard. Perhaps she offered him things that we have yet to think of? Hmmm… What could it have been?"

Yuki's breathing grows heavy with their words as tears rise to her eyes. She's considered their words before, wonders what would attract Soujiro to her. She has even thought of the possibility of him taking her child from her, though she doubts that considering how his mother favors her. Her greatest fear is the unhappiness that could grow between them when he returns to his old ways of bedding other women.

"Look at her. She probably drugged him or found him when he was drunk and saw an opportunity," Kyoko says flippantly. "How else would he have been so careless as to father a child with her?"

Yuki's hand goes to the curve of her growing belly as her legs give way beneath her. She hates that she is reduced to such a shameful emotional mess in front of these callous women. She wants to tell them that she never meant for this to happen, that all she wanted to do was say goodbye to him and then forget him. She wants to have the fire and strength that Tsukushi has to fight them and make them leave.

She's too lost in their scorn to hear the bell over the door jingle again, and she's stunned when a pair of strong arms wraps around her, and her eyes widen at the sharp words that fill the room. "How dare you come here! That you would come and confront a pregnant woman over her husband because he chooses to keep better company than you is the lowest thing a woman can do! How he ever could have played around with the likes of such cheap, vicious, unsophisticated women like you is beyond me, except that you're so easy. I've bedded married women who were less jaded than either of you! Now you should leave before I forget that I'm a gentleman and throw you out myself!"

She lets out a relieved breath of air when she hears the bell over the door jingle, and then she looks up, and watches the harsh look of Mimisaka Akira's face melt into an expression of concern as he meets her watery gaze. He helps her to her feet and then guides her to a chair to sit. He makes a quick call, then pockets his cell phone, crouches in front of her and offers her a handkerchief, as he asks, "Are you okay, Yuki-chan?"

She wipes her eyes and blows her nose, which prompts Akira to chuckle as she nods, and then he continues, "Good, because Soujiro is on his way and I don't want to see him react if you're still crying when he gets here."

"Soujiro?" she asks as her eyes widen. "But he has an important tea ceremony to perform this afternoon along with a couple of other business appointments."

"Apparently his wife is more important. He told me he's cancelled all of his appointments and he's free for the rest of the afternoon. Don't worry, I'll cover for you until Okami-san returns. Now go in the back and change. He'll be here soon."

With a smile she gets to her feet, and as he rises she takes him by surprise and hugs him. He's stunned for a moment, and his eyes widen at the feel of the slight swell of her stomach against him, but he quickly returns the hug, glad that he's managed to renew his friendship with her. He watches as she slips into the back, decides to put one of his men on duty as her bodyguard to protect her from the potential threats and the women of Soujiro's past, and then he wonders if Soujiro realizes just how lucky he really is to have Yuki in his life, and maybe there is just a small part of Akira that is envious of his friend.

----------

With a sigh Yuki looks up from the magazine in her hand, hoping that she doesn't have to face Soujiro and his pitying look of concern. She never thought she would ever feel smothered by the man, and yet he hardly leaves her to her own devices anymore, especially after the incident at the dango shop where Akira had come to her rescue. He even had a talk with Okami-san and managed to get Yuki indefinite time off.

She smiles at the sight of her mother-in-law standing in the doorway of the sitting room. "Haha," she greets Soujiro's mother warmly.

"Yuki-chan," she replies, and then fixes the room around her with an appraising gaze. "How you keep this house up so well without the help of servants is beyond me. I could easily send you one of the maids from the main house. Anything to make things easier on you, especially in your condition. Just say the word."

Yuki shakes her head. "That isn't necessary. It's an honor to be able to care for my own home. Besides I get enough grief from Soujiro for doing the 'menial tasks' of a servant."

"Speaking of my son, how is he treating you?"

Yuki flushes under Nanako's inquiring gaze, and replies, "He's very attentive. Almost too attentive. He hasn't left me alone in a long time. I'm actually grateful that he's out of the house until late tonight on business errands. He was beginning to drive me crazy!"

Yuki is startled at the sound of a familiar, quiet chuckle. "Rui?" she asks, and then Rui steps into the room.

Yuki looks from Nanako to Rui and then asks, "What are you doing here?"

Nanako is the one that answers the question. "Well, now that you have so much free time, and I've managed to tie up my son in the business, I thought you might like to take up your studies again. I hope you don't mind that I've gone out on my own and acquired you a tutor."

Yuki's eyes widen, and Rui gives her a little grin as he says, "Honestly I volunteered my services when obasan mentioned her search for a proper tutor for you. I hope you don't mind Yuki-chan. Though how will we tell Soujiro that we'll be spending so much time together?"

Nanako laughs at the mischievous smirk on Rui's face as she sees the faint flush rising on her daughter-in-law's cheeks. She gives Rui a little pat on the shoulder and says, "Let me worry about telling my son. Now I'll leave you to your studies. Don't work too hard and if you need anything you know the number for the house. I'll be sure to send some tea once I return to the main house."

"Arigato," Yuki calls out in a daze as Nanako slips out of the house with a knowing smile of her own on her face.

Several hours later have her and Rui sitting on the couch. She's looking at the textbook in her lap, and Rui is gingerly sipping at his tea. Finally she looks up at him, blowing back a wayward lock of her dark hair that keeps falling in her face, and in her frustration she asks, "How does being able to interpret British literature help me out?"

Rui chuckles and replies, "It's a sign of sophistication, and you will eventually learn to enjoy it. Besides you could always randomly quote authors to annoy your husband. It will remind him of me and drive him mad."

"Well, when you put it that way," Yuki says with a small smile.

"There's the Yuki-chan I know," Rui says with a grin and then he sets his cup of tea aside, leans toward her and points down at the poem she's been trying to fathom for the last half hour, "Now read it one more time and tell me what Thomas-san meant when he wrote those last lines, 'Do not go gentle into that good night./Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'"

She reads through the poem one more time, her English not quite up to par, but looking at the translation notes once again it finally clicks. Her face lights up and Rui raises a brow at her, awaiting her answer.

"It's a poem about life, living and fighting for every moment because life is a fight for every breath and every moment of happiness. If we want happiness, if we want to say that we have lived, we should fight for it," Yuki says, her eyes alight with the meaning behind the poem, and she leans forward and grapples Rui into a hug in her excitement.

It is at that moment that the front door opens and Soujiro then steps into the parlor. Needless to say with the sight before him, he is not exactly pleased in his mother's choice of tutors for his wife. Rui gives Yuki's back a gentle pat and she slowly pulls back from the hug and then turns to look in the direction that seems to have caught Rui's attention. Her eyes widen at the dark expression on her husband's face. Rui gets to his feet and gives her a small nod of acknowledgement.

"I think it's time I take my leave," he says and as he slips past Soujiro, who is barely containing his temper at this point, he looks back at Yuki with a grin and says, "And remember Yuki-chan, rage, rage against the dying of the light."

And with a wink in her direction he leaves Yuki to her very temperamental husband. Yuki calls him a traitor under her breath for leaving her alone to explain this to a very angry looking Soujiro.

----------

There is a sweet smell throughout the house and he can't resist as he follows his nose. His eyes widen at the sight of her in the kitchen, covering a pan on the stove. She moves with a natural grace in this room. She hasn't taken any notice of him yet with music playing softly in the back ground. He watches as she checks on a covered dish, notes the small smile on her face and watches as she begins to grate fresh ginger.

The rich, sweet smell in the kitchen is something that he hasn't ever experienced before. Servants have always done the cooking in his home, and he's never really taken the time to actually watch someone cook. Once she's finished grating the ginger she returns her attention to the frying pan on the stove. She reaches for the lid when a strange expression crosses her face, and her arm brushes the hot metal of the pan. She lets out a hiss in pain and he comes to her rescue.

He hurries to her side, and takes her arm, leading her to the sink. He cuts on the cold water and drags her wrist under the running water. She looks up at him in surprise. He raises a brow at her and asks, "What do you think you were doing?"

She rolls her eyes because it should be obvious. "I am cooking dinner."

"Do you really think you should be doing that in your condition?" he asks.

"Excuse me? I'm pregnant, not an invalid! I felt like cooking so I went out, brought what I needed, went through the trouble of preparing it, and now you complain? Let me go, it's nearly done," she snaps as she wrenches her arm from his grasp.

He rolls his eyes as he trails behind her, and watches her take the pan off of the eye and cut the stove off. "Obviously you shouldn't be cooking if you're so careless as to burn yourself."

Her eyes flash angrily as she turns to glare at him. "I'm sorry if the baby's movement distracted me. I'm not used to it, because it so rarely moves. It's starting to get active now."

"The baby moved?" he asks, his expression softening.

She sets the pan down on a cool eye on the stove and nibbles her bottom lip. Then she reaches for his hand and brings it to the swell of her abdomen. He gives her a strange look, and then his expression shifts to one of surprise as he feels something flutter against his palm. She smiles at him and says, "That's the baby."

He slips his hands beneath her shirt, his palms warm against the swell of her belly as the child inside of her moves against its father's hand. The teriyaki chicken and steamed rice is momentarily forgotten as she looks down at Soujiro as he presses his cheek against her belly in wonder to feel the baby's movements. As he looks up to meet her gaze he's stunned at the warmth shining in her eyes. He hasn't seen that warmth directed at him in a long time, and that serene expression on her face takes his breath away.

----------

Yuki looks into the mirror with a groan. How can she go out with Tsukushi tonight looking the way she does? She's swollen and she's fat, and Tsukasa is going to be there… At that last thought she winces and decides that she will just have to call her friend to cancel or make Soujiro talk to Tsukushi and tell her they are cancelling.

"What's wrong?" he asks from his casual pose by the door.

She closes her eyes and wonders why she would allow her friend to talk her into going out to dinner. She's fat and plain, and her husband is absolute male perfection. They couldn't be more mismatched, and of course she'll not only be dealing with her husband's commanding presence, but Domyouji Tsukasa's overbearing one as well. She just can't do this to herself. She already has enough on her mind with Soujiro still sulking over Rui being her tutor.

"Do we really have to go?" she asks quietly.

He gives her a strange look. "I thought you liked going out with Makino, and I haven't seen Tsukasa in a long time. It should be a fun evening, and we don't get out much anymore."

"But look at me! I'm fat and my ankles are swollen and my hair is a mess and I look awful!" she wails.

Soujiro's eyes widen as she flops back onto their bed, covering her face with her hands in despair. He looks at her and wonders what she must see in the mirror. All he sees is a pretty, young mother-to-be in a very nice designer evening dress. The cut of the dress is elegant, the sleeves covering just an inch past her shoulders, the waist loosely cinched under her bust, and the material loose over her abdomen, the skirt fluttering just below her knees.

He kneels in front of her, and begins to put on her shoes, the strappy royal blue heels that match the dress. She startles and looks down at him, her eyes wide. "Soujiro, what are you doing?"

He snorts and raises a brow. "I'm helping you with your shoes," he replies, his fingers grazing her ankle and he notices the shiver that goes through her body.

She closes her eyes and whimpers, and then her eyes fly open at the feel of his lips moving gently against her own. After a moment he pulls back and helps her to her feet. "We're going out tonight with our friends. Don't worry, they won't care what we look like. Okay, Tsukasa might, but you look fine. Your hair is nice, and the dress is perfect, now let's go before we're late and have to hear them fighting over that."

Nearly twenty minutes later they are walking into a chic French restaurant; her arm is in his, and upon seeing Tsukushi beaming at her she wonders why she was even worried about tonight to begin with. Of course leave it to Tsukasa to bring all those worries back.

"Wow, you've gotten big! How far out are you? You won't be expecting the baby tonight?" he asks, his voice somewhat loud and gaining the attention of several of the restaurant's patrons.

Yuki flushes in embarrassment, and Soujiro looks fit to kill his friend, but before Soujiro can approach Tsukasa, a loud smack is heard and then Tsukasa is rubbing at his arm and mincing words with Tsukushi. "What?!" he growls. "I'm only stating the openness!"

"You mean obvious, baka! And that's not true! She looks very pretty tonight!" Tsukushi snaps in defense of her friend, and at a dark look from the girl, Tsukasa rolls his eyes, and noticing the murderous look still in Soujiro's eyes he decides to at least try to make amends, though really he doesn't know what he's said wrong.

"That dress is very nice. The color suits you," he says, and Yuki flushes once again as Soujiro pulls her chair out for her and she takes a seat at the table, and she's grateful that Tsukasa will be returning to New York in a week.

----------

He can't help the smile on his face at the sound of her humming as he watches her wandering around the recently finished nursery. She looks at the changing table, the rocking chair, the dresser, and collection of various plushies and toys throughout the room. Finally she reaches the crib, her long, delicate fingers tracing along the gleaming golden finish of the wood. She turns to look at him, a smile on her face as she says, "You didn't have to go through so much trouble to get it finished so quickly, but thank you."

"Anything for you or the baby," is his simple reply as he joins her in the nursery, smiling at the light blues and yellows of the wall and sheer curtains.

Once he reaches her he wraps his arms around her and draws her into a kiss, and he's pleased when she gives in without hesitation. It's a slow process, but he's starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he's winning her over. He feels warmth in the kiss, and looking at her glowing in happiness now, he knows that no one would believe that this baby is an unexpected surprise.

----------

She wakes up with a start, a sharp pain at the small of her back, and her eyes widen. It couldn't be. It's two weeks too early. She shifts and the ache grows worse. She whimpers and suddenly Soujiro is awake beside her, his hair is disheveled and his eyes are heavy with sleep, but as she lets out another whimper his eyes widen and he becomes very alert.

"What is it?" he asks, barely able to contain the panic in his voice.

"It hurts," she whimpers, and a moment later he's calling up to the main house to get a car so that they can go to the hospital as soon as possible.

He tries to think of what to do and notices how Yuki's breathing, just like it says in those books. He follows her breathing pattern, short breath, short breath, long, but still it's not enough to calm his nerves as he rushes around the room getting her bag ready while he waits for the car to arrive.

----------

Akira looks at his friend sitting across from him. Soujiro hasn't touched the pancakes in front of him, but he's already nursing his third cup of coffee, and usually Soujiro hates coffee. Akira reaches across the table and gives Soujiro's arm a comforting pat. Soujiro looks up at his best friend with a start and then he stretches his legs out beneath the table and lets out a deep breath.

"I was scared to death. The whole drive to the hospital she was making these noises. She hurt so much, and all I could do was hold her and give her my hand. I felt so useless, and then two hours later the doctor tells us it was false labor and sends her home. How could that much pain be false labor?" Soujiro snaps, still obviously annoyed at the doctor.

Akira shrugs. He doesn't have experience with pregnancies, labors, and birth, so he's at a loss for just what to tell his friend. A definite change in subject is sorely needed, so he asks, "Well, all of that aside how are things between you and Yuki-chan?"

"She doesn't pull away from me when I try to kiss her now. She lets me hold her more often. She loved the nursery. It's slow going, but she's starting to come around. I'm not saying it's been easy. I swear there are times when I think I'm going to get frost bite from all the cold showers, or my wrist is going to break, but she's worth it, especially when she looks at me like I still mean something to her," he says quietly, and then color rises to his cheeks as he notices the way Akira is looking at him. "What?" he snaps.

Akira shakes his head with a grin, amazed at just how much Soujiro has grown up in the past few months. "Nothing, I just think you're really lucky, and you're finally realizing it," Akira replies.

"She's still holding back though. Almost like she's afraid to trust me," Soujiro says softly.

"Well, I hate to be the one to say it Soujiro, all things considered, but do you blame her with your history?"

Soujiro shakes his head, and he hates to admit that his friend makes a very valid point.

----------

She's been restless all day, her feet ache, her back aches, and she can't sit still for anything. She gets up from the bed, careful not to wake up Soujiro and she slips out of the room to the bathroom. After she flushes the toilet she begins to wander up and down the hall, quietly pacing. A particularly strong, sharp pain hits her in her lower back and her eyes widen at the wetness between her legs and on the floor.

"Soujiro!" she cries out, and he comes rushing out of the room. She can feel the contractions now, worse than earlier and coming more quickly. She braces a hand against the wall, gritting her teeth against the pain. He goes to her side, helps to ease her down to the floor, and he's grateful that he's started sleeping in a shirt and pajama pants. He makes a quick call to the main house, and as she pants and grabs at his other hand he winces at her grip.

The drive is far too long in his mind as she writhes and cries out in pain. He hates seeing her like this, hates that there is seemingly nothing useful that he can do. When they reach the hospital a nurse is already waiting at the door with a wheel chair. They quickly take Yuki to the back and he's stopped by several of the nurses and security and then led to the waiting room. While in the waiting room all he can do is phone his mother and friends, and pace. He's pacing by the time they all arrive.

No one says a word to him, they all just sit around in the waiting room while he paces, though they are just as restless, shifting and moving around, all of them except Rui, who's actually managed to doze off.

It feels like an eternity waiting on news. He looks up at the clock, several hours have passed. Should it take this long? What if something is wrong? He's tempted to rush out of the waiting room and demand some answers, but Akira manages to step in his way and then the waiting room doors open and the doctor comes in. Soujiro anxiously looks at the small squat man, eager for any news.

Dr. Mitsumira does not disappoint as he says, "Congratulations Nishikado-san, while both are tired your wife and daughter are doing well. The baby girl is perfectly healthy."

"A girl?" he says in awe and then in a tone that startles Rui from his sleep, he continues, "Where? Let me see them. I have to see them!"

The doctor chuckles at the young man's reaction and he leads him down the hall to the recovery room, the rest of the waiting room's occupants following. Soujiro slips into the room, but the doctor shakes his head at the others, as only one member of the family is allowed in the recovery room with the patient at a time. They watch from the doorway as Soujiro approaches the bed. An exhausted, but happy looking Yuki is laying back on the elevated bed, a warm smile on her face as she looks up from the small, pink bundle in her arms.

Their eyes meet and it's only the three of them in the world, her, Soujiro, and their daughter. He steps up to the bed, reaches his hand down and pulls back the folds of the soft, pink blanket to look down into the face of his daughter. Yuki shifts over and it doesn't take him long to get the hint as he joins her on the bed, wraps one arm around her shoulder to bring her closer to him and reaches down to gently stroke the baby's cheek with his index finger.

"She's beautiful," he whispers.

He watches as the baby shifts in the blankets and then a small, chubby hand reaches out and tiny fingers grab at his finger. His eyes widen and something swells inside of him as he leans down to kiss Yuki. Yuki nibbles at her bottom lip and then shifts in his arms as she asks, "Do you want to hold her?"

Soujiro's eyes widen in fear for a moment, unsure, afraid that he could drop that fragile life, but Yuki seems so sure. He gives a nod and changes his position as Yuki guides the baby into his arms, and tells him to support her head. He looks down at the baby, a goofy smile pulling at his lips, and he realizes that this is the second time he's fallen in love with a girl in his life. He lifts a finger to the baby's cheek again, and again she grabs at his finger and lets out a little huff of breath.

Finally he looks up at Yuki and asks, "Have you thought about any names?"

With a faint blush she nods. "Mikazuki," she replies.

He gives a nod, says the name a few times to get a feel for it and then he looks down at the infant in his arms and grins. "It's perfect," he says, and then he brings the baby up closer to his face, places a kiss on her forehead and says, "Hello Mikazuki."

The small family is broken from their reverie as Tsukushi bursts into tears at the doorway. They notice their friends and Soujiro's mother standing there, watching them, and finally it is Rui that pulls the sobbing Tsukushi from the door, and the rest of their impromptu audience follows, leaving them alone once again.

"Do you think this means Makino has finally changed her opinion of me?" Soujiro asks, and Yuki lets out a small giggle and shakes her head.

"I don't know. Tsukushi is really stubborn, but maybe it's a start."

Looking from Yuki to Mikazuki, he has to admit he likes the sound of that. A start, a beginning, a chance to prove his worth to his family.

----------

He can't believe how much has changed in the last six weeks since bringing Yuki and Mikazuki home. He's leaning against the doorway of the nursery, his eyes on his wife sitting in the rocking chair, feeding their daughter. She pulls the empty bottle away, quickly burps Mikazuki, and continues to rock as the baby fidgets and begins to cry. With a sigh she looks up at him, and he grins at her as he enters the room, approaches her and takes the baby from her.

He walks around, his hand gently rubbing the baby's back, and after a few moments the baby quiets down and falls asleep in his arms. He turns to his wife with a grin and she shakes her head at the sight, as he puts the baby down in the crib. Yuki joins him by the crib, and as they both look down at their daughter he reaches for Yuki's hand, brings it to his lips and with a devilish smirk tugging at his mouth he says, "We've waited long enough for you to regain your health. Tonight we can begin to try and provide a male heir for the Nishikado line. Don't you think Mika would like a little brother?"

He isn't disappointed when her cheeks flame red and she playfully swats at him. He pulls her to him and kisses her, a kiss that deepens quickly. As they break apart he reaches to check the settings on the baby monitor, and once he's reassured that they will hear Mika if she needs them he takes Yuki's hand in his and leads her to their bedroom. As he closes their bedroom door behind them and bends down to kiss his beautiful young wife, he fully appreciates her new curves, and thanks whatever god is responsible that he was given this second chance to get into her good graces once again, because that look of warmth in her eyes is home.

End.

----------

Author's Note: Don't worry guys, I feel that there is more Soujiro/Yuki on the way from me, but as for this trilogy, with the exception of a timestamp fic that Koko-kun and my betas are (NOT) so subtly suggesting, this is the end in this little verse. Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review!!!

-Cassie


End file.
